Marla Aaron’s jewelry empire began with an unconventional idea–to recast a carabiner in various metals. Since then, her pieces have emerged as their own category of “hard-working”, highly-personalized jewelry, actively challenging what makes jewelry precious. 

Aaron, whose Diamond District workshops are lined with artisans crafting pieces by hand, is collaborating with the Royal Porcelain Manufactory Nymphenburg for her latest collection. The historic Bavarian porcelain house, established in 1747, is the last manufactory in the world still producing porcelain entirely by hand. The manufactory is renowned for its centuries-old techniques, and has collaborated in the past with artists like Damien Hirst and Kiki Smith. The royal workshop currently has pieces on display in MoMA and the Stedelijk. 

It took Nymphenburg artisans three years to sculpt Marla’s functional jewelry designs in their finest porcelain. Each piece was hand-painted with the historic Cumberland pattern, inspired by the Bavarian forests surrounding the palace, then transported to New York where Marla’s team added 18k gold hardware. The result? A limited capsule of collectible jewelry meant to “bring joy to as many people as possible”.

The capsule is made up of four styles: the Lock, the Trundle Lock Bracelet, and the convertible porcelain-and-gold earring discs. Each piece is ornate, yet wearable. With this collaboration, Aaron is making porcelain both personal and “precious.” The collection is available now at Bergdorf Goodman, online, in Marla Aaron’s NY showroom, and at Liberty in London.